DENVER—The Green Meeting Industry Council’s (GMIC) annual North American conference not only has a new name, the Sustainable Meetings Conference (formerly the Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference), but also a new 2010 conference theme: Scaling It Up!
GMIC selected Denver for its natural beauty and, most importantly, for its strong group of committed leaders who strive to make sustainable practices the standard within the meeting and event industry. With facilities such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Renewable Energy Laboratory, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge restoration, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver and the great state of Colorado are clearly committed to green as the new way of being. In addition, Denver is the city responsible for greening the 2008 Democratic National Convention and continues to be dedicated to environmental, social and economic responsibility as it pertains to the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions industry (MICE). This makes it the ideal host for the GMIC annual convention February 9 to 11, 2010.
“The GMIC annual conference is the premier event that engages event organizers and hosts to address important sustainability issues impacting the meeting and event industry,” said GMIC board president Amy Spatrisano, who is also with MeetGreen. “This year’s conference will demonstrate the critical role of green standards development and international sustainability reporting initiatives as best practice frameworks for the meeting and event industry.”
The 2010 GMIC programs committee designed interactive and engaging learning sessions that reflect the metrics-based approach of the APEX/ASTM green meeting standards as well as build in process learning methodology in other international event standards (i.e. BS 8901 in the U.K.).
The GMIC 2010 keynote speaker is announced as Annie Leonard, the author and host of the online film, “The Story of Stuff,” a fast paced, fact-filled exposé on the hidden environmental and social costs of current systems of production and consumption. The film has become an Internet phenomenon, generating more than 6.5 million views in 200 countries and territories since its launch in December 2007. Leonard is now working on a book version of the film, to be published by Free Press of Simon and Schuster in March 2010.
For full conference details, visit the conference website at www.sustainablemeetingsconference.com.
